Present invention relates to a camera control system and, more particularly to a camera control system that allows a single or plurality of users to remote-operate a plurality of cameras.
A video transmission system which enables video transmission or communication by video and audio transmission between arbitrary two (or more) points, by constructing a network by arranging a number of cameras and computers in a building or the like, has been proposed.
In this system, the user at an arbitrary point can remote-operate an arbitrary camera from the point, and/or display a video image from the camera on the display of a computer at the point.
In the video transmission system enabling this remote-operation of an arbitrary camera, as the number of the cameras to be operated increases, it is necessary to easily know positions of the respective cameras.
Generally, in a video conference using a plurality of computers connected via a network, there are a plurality of video cameras and a plurality of users who remote-operate the video cameras. Only one user can operate one camera at one instant. In this case, operation priority must be exclusively assigned to the user by a control method or standard. The camera to be operated is, e.g., identified by a unique name or numeral.
However, in the conventional art, when a user wants to operate a camera, since there is no means for confirming whether or not the camera is actually in controllable status (i.e., any other user is not currently operating the camera, and the user has the operation right), the user merely has to try to remote-operate the camera.
Further, in the conventional art, there is no function for indicating status of use of each camera and its access right (right to see video images and operate them) by real time. This function is indispensable especially for the system administrator, and is also helpful to the other users.